In 1858, Hiram Walker began distilling whisky in Walkerville, Ontario, then a little town just north of Windsor. Although he did not introduce his signature Canadian Club whisky until the 1880s, from the beginning, Walker used a process that involved blending several component whiskies according to a still-secret formula, then putting the resulting blend to age in barrels made of white oak. Walker experimented with ageing this “barrel blended” whisky for 5, then 6, and then 7 years, before finally settling on 6 years as the standard. More recently, various older versions, including 10, 12, 15, and 20 year olds, have been introduced to expand the range.

Some thirty-odd years ago, someone at the Hiram Walker distillery in Walkerville selected 89 real “honey” barrels of standard barrel-blended Canadian Club, and set them aside for long ageing. Whoever that person might have been – master blender, barrel jockey, or prankster – he (or she?) is owed a great debt of gratitude. Over those thirty years, the angels that visit the CC warehouses in Pike Creek, Ontario have consumed more than half of that whisky, leaving the equivalent of only 39 barrels of the golden liquid behind.

In 2008, when preparations for the 150th anniversary of Walker’s distillery were in full swing, his successors decided that the time had finally come to pull those old honey barrels out of the warehouse and to bottle their contents. The result? A supply of an astounding 2,560 six-bottle cases of this special Canadian Club 30-year-old edition.

Nose: Quite fragrant with cedar lumber and lots of dry, fresh-cut hardwood. Dark fruit – including raisins, black currants, and prunes – merge with fruity pipe tobacco, which in turn, is joined by a hint of grape Kool-Aid. These fruity notes have melded right into the woody ones, creating a deceptively simple nose. But given time, the deceit is revealed as teasing nuances of gentle sweet vanilla and fleeting hints of milk chocolate escape, only to be jostled aside by a vaguely rancorous astringency, as childhood scents of peeled green Manitoba maple bark elbow their way in too. Yes, thirty years in a Pike Creek warehouse is a mighty long time, even though the warehouses are heated in winter. That said, this whisky is anything but tired, though its recurring ultra-complex tobacco notes remind us of that thirty-year sleep.

Canadian Club 30 year old is made from the same spirit as CC 20 year old, using the same blending formula. A rye, a malted rye, a barley whisky, and a corn whisky were the constituents of both the 20- and 30-year old, and there are many similarities between the noses of these two whiskies. But there are differences too, and not ones you might initially anticipate, either. As expected, wood dominates the nose of the 30-year old, as it also does with the 20. But ten more years in the barrel have left Canadian Club 30 year old not woodier, but fruitier than its 20-year-old cousin, and also dryer, as so often happens with very old whiskies.

Palate: At thirty years of age, the palate is still crisp and fresh. And it still retains that particular Canadian Club creaminess, with a pleasing medium weight, and some sweetness too. The dominating feature though is fresh-cut lumber, tightly integrated with a hot zippy pepper. This well-aged whisky remains vibrant and powerful and is most definitely not over the hill. An early bitter citric zest disappears after a little while, but a pleasing mouth-filling heat lingers. Given its age, I would expect more obvious complexity but it really is quite subtle. Hints of black fruit, fresh plums, sherry, licorice, caramel, loads of butterscotch, floral perfume, and pink grapefruit juice broaden the palate. Traces of old corn whisky, along with slightly musty cardboard and old books, mingle with the dustiness of rye. The fruity tobacco of the nose finds its echo on the palate in hot tobacco notes which underscore the hot pepper while tempering a gentle tannic pull and a hint of woody bitterness.

Finish: Long and reluctant. Zesty bitter citric notes, suggestions of dark fruit, lots of pepper, and fading hints of dry wood and sawdust. The peppery glow lingers in the throat, joined towards the end by inklings of ginger.

Canadian Club 30 year old is gone from LCBO, but it is still available for $180 at B.C. Liquors, and $183 at SAQ. There was, after all, just a single batch and almost all of it has been sold. If you haven’t done so already, now is the time to decide whether or not you must have one of the few remaining bottles.

Very highly recommended. ★★★★★

The reviews on canadianwhisky.org are intended to help readers find whiskies they will enjoy, and to better appreciate the whiskies they drink. Not everyone has the same likes and dislikes though, and the best a reviewer can do is offer his or her opinion. But these are just that, opinions and not truths.

Just for fun, Chip Dykstra in Edmonton, Jason Debly in Fredericton, and I, decided to review this exceptional Canadian Club whisky independently and then post our reviews at the same time on our respective websites. We did this so we, and you could compare them. You can read what Chip thinks of CC 30 on his Rum Howler blog and get Jason’s opinion on his blog – Jason’s Scotch Whisky Reviews. We have not shared our reviews with each other before posting them so we’ll be just as surprised as you are. But who knows, if we like the results we may just try it again a time or two in 2011.

Hi Elliott,
Probably the best way to establish the value is to see what others are selling for on e-Bay. My guess is that depending on who is looking to buy you will get somewhere in the range of $50 to $100. Not more. Old Canadian whisky doesn’t really appreciate much. Probably the bet thing to do is find a couple of friends and sit down and enjoy the whisky.
Davin

I’m getting the last bottle of this left in Ontario. Coming from Windsor, I’m lucky I have a buddy working at the LCBO that located it for me. I should have it today or tomorrow. Not sure if I can justify opening this though, it may just end up sitting there like my Wiser’s Redletter 150 An.

I bought the 30 year with the anticipation that it would be leaps and bounds beyond the silky smoothness of the 20 year, my ultimate fave.
You have no idea how terribly disappointed I was when I tried it. I even delayed the opening of it for two weeks because I wasn’t quite sure I wanted to open it at all. However, I decided against saving it because it wouldn’t age further in the bottle anyway.
My first impression: Very oaky and extremely long on the pepper note. EXTREMELY! And to think I spent $200 on this when the 20 year only costs $50 and it’s to die for!!
For 30 year old whiskey, the flavours should be complex, smooth, savoury………..desireable. But they’re not. This stuff is bilge water, which proves “Old” doesn’t mean better.
Save your money and get the 20. In fact, for the price of one overrated, pretentious 30 year old, you can get four sweet 20 year olds.
Coincidentally, the same rule applies to women as well. LOL!

[...] Canadian Club 30 year old reviewed here, Canadian Club 20 year old reviewed here, Canadian Club 15 year old reviewed here, Canadian Club Classic 12 year old reviewed here, Canadian Club 10 year old reviewed here, Canadian Club 8 year old Sherry Cask reviewed here. [...]

I was lucky enough to pickup three bottles of the 30 year old Canadian club from the duty free in Sydney Australia in 2009-2010.I also picked up several bottles of the 20 year old from the same duty free shop in Sydney Australia.I still have the three 30 year old unopened bottles and would have to check on the 20 year old version as i know i gave one as a present to a friend in Australia.
So in short yes it was available other then in North America.The sales person at the duty free told me it was duty free limited edition only (apparently that was incorrect ).
I have been traveling to Australia for work since 2001 and have had the chance to try many different beers and spirits not usually available here in Canada.
I switched to Rum years ago as a drink of choice but have come back to Canadian Whiskey lately.I usually take a bottle or two to my friends in Australia of brands such as Crown Royal cask No 16 and special reserve.Most bottle shops in Australia only have Canadian club and Canadian club 12 year old available so they are missing out on some finer Canadian whiskeys.My next trip i am taking a Gibsons 18 year old and another CR cask No 16 for my Aussie friends.

Glad to hear you got a stash of CC 30. Great whisky for sure. If you want to take a Cask 16 to your friends you might want to buy it soon. I think the batch they did last winter is the last one so when that is gone there’ll be no more.
Davin

From what you said regarding CR Cask No 16 being discontinued (and what i have learned/confirmed through research on the internet)i went out and purchased multiple bottles for the future.So far i am up to 11 750ml bottles and have found 8 more if i want them.If one looks in the right places they can be found here in Calgary for how long no one knows.Like you say once they are gone that will be it(a great whisky that will be missed)
I double checked my stash and have 4 bottles of the CC 30 year old left and 2 bottles of the CC 20 year old.
Some other notables are 6 bottles Highwood Calgary Stampede 100 year anniversary 25 year old , 2 bottles Wisers 150th anniversary Red Letter 2010 (nice box) , 6 bottles Wisers Red Letter 2013 , 2 bottles CR extra rare red (Waterloo) and 1 bottle CR extra rare blue (Lasalle).
I am not sure how much longer i can treat my friends in Australia to discontinued brands of great Canadian whiskies but will do my best.

Just wondering if you still have your 30 year old bottle of Canadian Club. I am in Australia and would be really interested in buying from you. If you could email me at modea4@gmail.com that would be greatly appreciated

I have a bottle of 1953 Canadian Club Whiskey ( Hiram Walker & Son)Unopened all the labels & seal. Very Nice Condition. Been stored in cool basement since new 61 years ago. I looking to sell make offer. Rickd427@gmail.com

I have an unopened, sealed CC gold limited edition commemorative 1976 Olympic games bottle I am trying to find the value of. I’m finding no helpful info online. Does anyone have this information please? I may also be interested in selling. Email: desanti2001@gmail.com

Davin the market is what people are willing to pay. I’m pretty sure there are a bunch of people out there willing to pay handsomely for this bottle. A bunch of people have sold there’s for over $400 American. I have an unopened one in mint condition I’ll only part with for that much.

I think people are slowly beginning to wake up to the quality of Canadian whisky. If you can find a buyer go for it, but for now, with rare exceptions, there is still no real collectors’ market for Canadian whisky.

Hi all I have a number of old full bottles of CC the oldest is tax label 1945. I have old 12, 15 and 20 year old, The black and silver/bottles plus 3×30 year old bottles I think I have about 40-50 old full bottles to total.
The problem this side of the pond is that CC is becoming less and less available in the UK.
I think I am keeping mine for a rainy day, when there none available in the UK.
I think CC need a very large advertising campaign in the UK to get it back in the market place

Sweet, peppery and hot with dusty old wood, citrus zest, and burnt toffee that ends with a refreshing grapefruit pithiness. It’s a bit spirity which is why it works so well in cocktails and highballs. ★★★

Plums, prunes, black currents balanced with sweet butter tarts and baking spices and the warming glow of real black pepper. Silky mouthfeel with hints of oak but not the woodiness of long-aged whisky. ★★★★★

A typical fruity, rye-forward Canadian Club nose becomes sweet, hot, and spicy on the tongue. The most whisky like of the spiced whiskies with added notes of black licorice, Mom’s baking vanilla and a touch of clean oak.

Scotch snobs who rely on age statements to tell them if they like what they are drinking take note: Coyote Ugly is one three-year-old shooting whisky that is simply loaded with flavour. Loaded! Recommended. ★★★☆

Hot, and sweet with dark fruits, creamy cereals, hints of pansies. Burley tobacco takes it into the lower registers as do hints of oak. A bright, lively, potent, but not overly complex whisky, with a sweet and fruity finish.★★★★☆

Canvas and burlap with heavy fall flowers and dry brown hay. The palate begins with burnt caramel, searing spices and ripe orchard fruits and ends in a long juicy finish with a slight bitterness that integrates IPA hops and citrus pith. ★★★★☆